Snow on Palomar Mountain

Flower Fields open in Carlsbad

The annual opening day, March 1, at the Carlsbad Flower Fields was not as colorful as it has been in years past, but visitors who braved the inclement weather and were willing to walk to the extreme ends of the fields were rewarded with a hillside of petunias on one end and a robust field of ranunculi on the other end. Photography by Peggy Peattie/UT San Diego

Students on Trial

About 450 San Diego County high school students participated in the annual San Diego County High School Mock Trial Competition at the downtown courthouse, February 28, 2015 Photography by Howard Lipin/U-T San Diego

Silver Bay Kennel Show

Sunday was the final day of the annual Silver Bay Kennel Club Dog Show held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The best of the best were singled out in a variety of breeds. Photography by Peggy Peattie/UT San Diego

Beagle brigade arrives

A team of their own

When 14-year-old Isaiah Granet started the youth hockey team San Diego Chill for developmentally disabled children, he just wanted the kids to have a team of their own. It started with two players and has grown to 25 with much of the community volunteering. Photography by Nelvin C. Cepeda

The Marvel Experience

Comic-book aficionados headed to The Marvel Experience at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, February 7, 2015. The experience, a 90-minute interactive show, which takes participants through various levels of training that involve climbing up walls, going through a laser maze and interacting with 3D superheroes and villains. Photography by Howard Lipin

Escondido's dancing stars

Vista High's Ag. Dept. honored

Vista High School was one of just two agricultural programs recognized for community service by the Future Farmers of America. Vista High was a recipient of the FFA: Food For All grant, and FFA recognized just two chapters for outstanding results from the grants.

Monk on bee-tending mission

Spanish Revival home in Cardiff

The original house was a modest 1,000-square-foot structure built in 1961 on a .18 acre lot in Cardiff-by-the-Sea. In 2005 a contractor/builder doubled the square footage, gutted much of the interior and transformed it into a Spanish Revival-style house. The owners have decorated the home with artifacts from their travels to Ireland, Chile, Peru, Tahiti, and Vietnam.

Sudsing up with Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps

Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps made famous in the 1960s are still cleaning up with their ALL-ONE Love and Peace philosophy. They gave participants in the Spartan Race 2015 at Vail Lake Resort in Temecula showers of peppermint flavored foaming soap at the end of the race, January 17, 2015. Photography by Howard Lipin

Staging a home in Poway

Surf Air, one price all-you-can-fly airline

Surf Air, a private membership one price all-you-can-fly airline, is now flying out of Carlsbad's Palomar Airport. Members have access to unlimited flights to the airline's 8 locations in California, including Las Vegas.

Hole in One Challenge assists vets.

Wedding Ringer Stars at Miramar

The stars of the new movie, "The Wedding Ringer," Kevin Hart, Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting and Josh Gad were on the hand at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, January 10, 2015, for a screening for Marines and their families. The movie opens in theaters January 16. Photography by Howard Lipin/U-T San Diego/ Twitter @hlipin

Rowe gets probation

Kathleen Rowe terrorized a married couple Jerry Rice and Janice Ruhter after they purchased a home that she wanted. Rowe placed an ad impersonating Ruhter soliciting sex and gave out Ruhter's address. Rowe was convicted of soliciting rape and was sentenced to five years probation.

CAMP PENDLETON  Camp Pendleton will hold a commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima 4:30 p.m. March 7 at the Pacific Views Event Center. A portion of the event is open to the public and will include a sunset memorial service at the Iwo Jima monument, singing of the national anthem, a guest of honor address and a reenactment of the historic flag raising. The The Battle of Iwo Jima ...

DEL MAR  Del Mar’s future City Hall complex should include extra parking, a large outdoor gathering space and other special features, rather than just a simple civic center with council chambers and office space, council members agreed Monday. The council voted 4-0 to set aside more than $540,000 for design and environmental studies for the complex after hearing the results of an online poll that showed registered voters in the city wanted those features ...

NORTH COUNTY  Following are results from recent local government meetings: CITY COUNCILS CARLSBAD The Carlsbad City Council on Tuesday approved an appointment to the Housing Commission; approved a resolution authorizing city staff to negotiate a lease with URBN Restaurants for 2833 State St.; introduced an ordinance related to the duties of the Carlsbad Arts Commission and approved the Art in Public Places Program guidelines; received an economic development activity update from the city’s economic ...

NORTH COUNTY  Following are upcoming meeting schedules for local government agencies: CITY COUNCILS DEL MAR The Del Mar City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Monday at the Del Mar Communications Center, 240 10th St. Agenda items include: consider approval of membership in the San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative; consider approval of a limited term senior planner position; consider approval of a professional services agreement with Stephen Dalton Architects for as-needed architectural consulting services ...

SOLANA BEACH  A 38-year-old man was arrested early Monday after sheriff's deputies checking out a burglar alarm at the Solana Beach post office found five fires set inside the building. Deputies called out by a report of a ringing alarm at the post office on South Sierra Avenue near Lomas Santa Fe shortly before 2 a.m. found a man inside the building and five small fires burning, said sheriff's Lt. Jim Walker. The damage ...

ENCINITAS  A 29-year-old driver was killed after his car hydroplaned and crashed on a rain-slicked stretch of Interstate 5 in Encinitas on Sunday morning, a California Highway Patrol officer said. The San Diego resident was heading north near Birmingham Drive when he lost control of his 2002 Honda Civic about 6:50 a.m., CHP Officer Jim Bettencourt said. The car smashed into the freeway's center divide and overturned. A 29-year-old passenger was able to crawl ...

RANCHO PEÑASQUITOS  A driver was seriously hurt Saturday evening when he lost control of a Nissan Altima, which crashed into a tree and flipped on Black Mountain Road, a San Diego police officer said. The motorist, 24, sustained a broken pelvis, jaw and ribs in the crash, just about 8:20 p.m. south of state Route 56, Officer Robert Heims said. He was take to a hospital with injuries not considered life-threatening. The driver’s 24-year-old ...

VISTA  A 17-year-old boy believed to be an associate of a Vista gang was arrested Friday after he dropped a loaded gun as a deputy gave chase, a sheriff’s official said Saturday. The teen was among five people deputies found hanging around out outside of a Union 76 gas station on North Melrose Drive at Olive Avenue shortly after noon. Authorities had gone to the site after three teens were spotted swiping items from ...

NORTH COUNTY  The Fallbrook man who died last week after his motorcycle slid under a tractor-trailer truck near Rainbow was identified as John David Payn, 20, authorities said Saturday. Payn was riding his Honda Shadow motorcycle north on Interstate 15, just south of Rainbow Valley Road, about 4:45 p.m. Feb. 19 when traffic in front of him suddenly stopped, Officer Jim Bettencourt of the California Highway Patrol said. Payn's motorcycle struck an SUV in ...

SAN MARCOS  As development in San Marcos surges following recession-related stagnation, two condominium complexes are in the works near a high-profile stretch of East Mission Road, east of Twin Oaks Valley Road. The two infill projects were proposed after San Marcos changed zoning for the area from commercial to residential, a move “prompted by interest from developers and the city staff taking a fresh look at that land,” city spokeswoman Sarah Divan said. In ...

NORTH COUNTY  Community gatherings, ranging from free blues concert and bilingual book discussion to workshop on building miniatures and author-led story time. CARLSBAD Renowned miniatures builder give demonstration The Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum in Carlsbad is hosting renowned miniatures builder, William Robertson of Kanasa City, Mo., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 28, for a demonstration of his work. Robertson specializes in historically accurate miniature reproductions of vintage objects, usually in 1/12 scale, ...

POWAY  The Poway Unified School District is seeking input from a wide range of community members as officials craft the district’s second Local Control and Accountability Plan. School districts in California last year were tasked with creating and implementing a Local Control and Accountability Plan, known as an LCAP, as a requirement of the state’s new Local Control Funding Formula for public education. The new funding formula is intended to be more flexible and ...